Mining machine



June 26, 1928.

N. D. LEVIN MINING MACHINE OrigIfial Filed Sept. 28, 1916 s sheets-sheet 1 m 5% M W W n N 4 g w w Q R r i l- I x H M I w o 0 q n an o mm. m mu sw RN Y I MMN N Q WITN I N. D. LEVIN MINING MACHINE June 26, 1928.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 L vri f i 5 T T ORNE Y.

Original FiledSept. 28, 1916 June 26, 1928.

N. D. LEVIN MINING MACHINE" R K N R n V m H w l U a 1m mm 6 V a Q Y m TH Qv 0 Y B 9 N% bw A 1, y z QM R L v v t m d N WQN h H w SN 1 M W. .1 FIN .v w w N3 wm SN Q a .3\ NW 1 M g 8N 2w wq Q. EN 4 .E o O Q 0 O O o O 0 Y O O o 0 O O 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 O o o O O 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 o o o o 0 o o o QM m k WITNESSES agdfaia June 26, 928. 7' 1,675,180

N. D. LEVIN MINING MACHINE OriginalFiled Sept.28, 1916 SShoets-Sheat 4 iii/111111114 ATTORNEY.

, June 26, 1928.

N. D. LEVIN,

141mm mc'nm:

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Sept. 28, 1916 [N VE/V T OR.

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June 26, 192s. 1,675,180 N. DJ LEVIN MINING momma Original Filed Sept. 28. 1916 s Sheets-Sheet e Ely-.14. 171 15.

WITNES E5:

Patented June 26, 1928.

" UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE. I i

NILS 1D. LEVIN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MINING MACHINE.

Application filed September 28, 1916, Serial No. 122,706. Renewed November 17, 1927.

This invention relates to certain new and j useful improvements, in mining machines of the types adapted for under cutting coal, breaking it down and loading it into c0nveniently placed cars for transport from the mine. i

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to provide, in a cutting and loading machine, simultaneously movable hori- Zontal under-cutting devices and parallel vertical shearing devices; to provide breaking down devices; to provide a car loading conveyor which is pivoted to the main frame for movement about a vertical axis; and to provide ropes or cables together'with winding drums for moving the machlne as a whole. None of the foregoing features are broadly claimed as apart of this invention.

It is the especial object of this invention to provide, in a machine of the class described, improved breaking down devices whereby the coal, after being undercut and sheared, may be broken into relatively large fragment-s greatly reducing the proportlon of fine coal or slack.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. However, Idesire it to be understood that various modifications as to details may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Of the drawingsz- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. side View partly in section and partly in elevation of the forward part of the machine.

Fig. elis a fragmentary longitudinal sec tion view taken along the line 44 of Fig-s. 5 and 7.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken along line 5-5 of Fig.3.

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken along line 66 .of Fig.

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken along the line 7-Z of Figs. 1 and 4:.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view sliowing the feeding mechanism, the other parts being removed for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 4.

the

the

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view upon a main frame 1. This main frame is supported upon a pan or shoe 2 which rests directly upon the floor of a mine room or entry in which the machine is being operated. 1 The frame 1 is bodily movable with respect to the pan 2 ina manner to be described. I I

Supported on the main frame casting 1 is a relatively movable cutter frame 3, which is generally triangular in outline, and'is provided around its edges with a groove adapted to receive and guide an endless chain 4 to which are secured cutting bits 5. The chain grooves along the sides of the frameare formed in part by the plates 6 and at the front by the plates 7. At the front the chain .4 passes. over a hardened wearing plate 8. At the rear the chain passes around and is engaged by the driving sprocket wheel 9 which is mounted on the main frame to receive power in a manner to be hereinafter described.

. Positioned at opposite sides ofthe main frame 1 .and secured thereto in a suitable manner are brackets 10 to which are attached the vertical cutter frame plates 11,

but as the details of this attachment are immaterial to the present. invention further description at this time is not thought to be required. As shown in Fig. 1 the plates 11 are substantially triangular in outline. Each plate has a substantially vertical forward edge and is provided along its edges With chain engaging flanges 17 to form the cutter, frames 18 and 19 about gwhich the cutter chains 20 are adapted'to travel in the manner common to such cutter frames. At the lower forward corners of the cutter frames 18 and 19 are provided idler sprocket Wheels similar parts in ter bits 23 which engage the coal to At the rear the chains pass over the sprocket wheels 24 which are mounted 'on'the main frame to receive power in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The main conveyor for the machine is of the endlessf'chain and scraper type and extends over substantially the entire width and the entire length of the main frame. It

comprises two endless "chains which are joined at intervals by cross bars 31. which act as scrapers. The chains pass around the sprocket wheels 32 on the transverse drive shaft 33 mo'unte'din bearing brackets 34 on the main t'rame 1. At the front of themachine the chains 30 pass around the sprockets 35 on a transverse sha-ft 36 ,jo' rnaled in bearings in the cutter frame 3. The upper strandfo'f the conveyortravels over the surface of the plate 38 which is connected by means of suitable angle bars '39 with side plates 10. Angle bars 41 are secured to the plates above the upper strand 'of'the conveyor andserve to protect the chains and hold them in position. The lower strand of the conveyor travels over the surface of a plate 42 which is secured to the plates 40 by means of angle bars 13. The conveyor trough formed by the vertical plates 10 and the horizontal and inclined plates '38 and 4:2 is a 'rigid self supporting structure. At its rear end the trout; 1 is'aZt-tachedto'th'e bearings 34 of the shaft 33 and forward end is mounted in the cutter frame 3, the parts beingso arranged that the entire forward end of the conveyor can extend into the 'kerf formed by the cutters 5; but as it forms no part of the present invention further 'description at this time not thought to be necessary. c v

When mater al is "broken down from the coal face it falls upon this main conveyor and carried 'rearwardly and discharged "uponthe swinging loading conveyor E by whichit is deposited 1n cars44 conveniently placed at the rear of the machine. This pivoted loading conveyor is similarto that described in my copen'ding application No.

r 782,522 filed in the Patent Ofiice on Aug.

1st, 1913, and needs not beparticularly described a t'this time.

Theslack formed by the cutter bits 5 of the under cutter will be carried backward within the main frame land will not be caught bv'the main conveyor. In order to pickup this-slack and load it with" the other coal a supplementary slack conveyor-45 is provided by which the cuttings are gathered and "(he'posited in 1 the "loading" conveyor with the coal from the main conveyor The active element of this slack conveyor is an endless chain 46 having scraper flights 47 constructed according to a Well established practice. At its rearward end the chain 46 passes around a driving sprocket wheel48 mounted underheath tlre -rear end of the main conveyor for rotation about a vertical axis.

2 is the plate or pan upon which the main frame of the machine slidably rests. This pan 2 comprises a bottom plate 56, and side plates which are formed by angle "bars 51 I and '52.

mounted at the forward end of the pan 2.

A guide sheave 56 is positioned adjacentthe sheave 55. After passing'around the sheave.

the rope extends backward to a sheave 57 mounted on the main frame land across to a similar mounted sheave 58. From the sheave 58 the rope extends forward to .a point of attachment to the front end of the pan at 59. Itwill be clear that gwhenjthe drum 54 is rotated the rope 53-willcausethe main frame and attached parts to move forward with respect to the pan, the tractive force being devided between the'two sides.

60 is arope for .pulling the main frame and attached parts backward with respect to the pan. This rope is connected to the winding drum 61, and from the drum extends backward'between two guide pulleys 62and 63. 'Fromthese sheavcsthe rope can extend to the right-or'the left and can be'secured to one or to the other of the hooks 6 1, aslshown in Fig. 8. It will be clear that when :"the drum 61 is rotated the rope 60 will act directly to pull the main frame and attached parts backward.

The hooks 64". are secured to or formed as partsof castings 65 and 66 mounted at the rearcornersotthe pan These castings 65 and 66 are provided with rearward extending lugs 67 adapted to be enga ed by lifting jacks or crow bars for "handling the machine and assisting in moving it about the mine. Mountedon the castings 65 and 66 are sheaves 68 over which the rope 60 can be passed when it is to he used for moving the machine as a whole laterally or otherwise in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed. V

The drums 54 and Glare mounted for rotation about vertical axes and are controlled by the lovers 69 and 70 connected by chains 71 and '72withthe cross shaft '73 mounted for rotation in apertures'ofthe main frame 1 m suchmanner that by the rotation of llt the shaft 73 in one direction power. is applied to the drum 54 to wind the rope 53 and by its rotation in the opposite direction power is applied to the drum (31 to wind the rope As these devices form no part of the present invention further description at this time is not thought to be required.

A hand wheel 74 is attached to each end of the cross shaft 73 by which it may be rotated to control the operation of the winding drums 54 and 61. When the operator desires to feed the machine forward to cause thecutter and breaking down mechanisms to advance into the coal,'he turns the shaft 73 by means of one or other of the hand wheels 74 in the direction to cause the chain 71 to be wound thus engaging the clutch which controls the feed drum 54. \Vhen the operative parts have moved forward as far as is desired the shaft is turned in the direction to unwind the chain 71 and release the clutch of the feed drum 54.

, 61, it being assumed that the pull back rope 60 is connected to one of the hooks 64.

'Power for-operating the entire machine is derived from the electric motor 75. This motor has a pinion 7 6 on itsarmature shaft and this pinion meshes with a masterbevel' gear 77 which is keyed on a vertical shaft 78, shown in Fig. 5. This shaft is ournaled in a bearing 79 of the main frameand carriesat its lower end the sprocket 9 for the under cutting chain 4. The weight of the gear and of the shaft is carried'by a ball bearing 81.

bevel gear 83 on a: transverse shaft 84. This shaft is mounted in bearings 85', 86 and 87 formed in a plate 88 secured to the main frame. Loosely mounted on the ends of the transverse shaft84 are the sprocket wheels 24 for the shearing cutter chains 20. Keyed to the shaft 84 at points adjacent the sprocket.

wheels 24 are hubs 89 having flanges 90. These flanges are apertured at intervals and corresponding apertures are formed in'the sprocket wheels. Clutch fingers 91 are mounted on plates 92 and these fingers can be moved through the apertures in the flanges 90, and into the apertures in the sprocket wheels 24 thus serving to connect the sprocket wheels to the shaft. Latch bill-s93 are provided for holding theplates in or out of operative positions. These are mounted on pivot pins 94. I

A spur gear 95 is mounted on a transverse shaft '96 and meshes with a pinion 97 on the shaft 84. Theshaft 96 is mounted in a hearing 98 on the mainframe. tion is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 9. Keyed 'sion of the driven member and which engages This construe to the shaft 96 is a bevel gear 99 which meshes with a similarjbevel gear 100 on a longitudinally extending sleevei101. This sleeve 101 is freely mounted on a longitudinal shaft 102 whichis support-ed'in bearings 103 and 104. 'The'sleeve101 is connected with the shaft 102 by means of a multiple disc the discs by means of thepins 108..

Keyed to the shaft 102 near its rear end is a. worm 109 which engages with the worm wheel 110 for driving the rope drums 54 and 61. bevel gear 111 which meshes with a bevel gear 112 attached to the sprocket wheel 48 of the slack conveyor. A second bevel gear 113 mounted on a transverse shaft 114,

mounted on the main frame, meshes with the gear 111.- Upon one end of the shaft 114 The pressurebe-- Also mounted on the shaft 102 is a is a sprocket wheel 115 and a chain 116 passes over this sprocket wheel and overa similar shearing cutter frames to be carried into! the kerf formed thereby and, at the will of the operator, to exert a pushing effort, transe versely of the cutter frame; to disengage the mainbody of the coal. Thishydraulic jack block betweenthe vertical kerfs from the comprises acylinder 120, mounted in an I aperture of the plate 11, in which is slida-ble Formed on the hub of the gear is a smaller bevel gear 82 which meshes with a similar the plunger 121. The plunger-1 21 is provided with a packing washer 122 secured in place by the clamp-mg ring 123 in the manner common in hydraulic plunger construction. The parts are so proportioned that when the plunger 121 iswithdrawn into the cylinder 120 the overall length of the jack will be less than the width ofthe kerf to allow its free insertioninto the kerf. T/Vhen,

however, the plunger 121 is pushed to its outer limit of tra'vel the overall length of the acket Wlll' be materially greater than the width of the kerf allowing a considerable yielding. of the coal within the effectiverange of the jack. Formed in'the body of the cylinder 120 is an aperture 124 into which is screw threaded a pipe coupling 125 by which the supply tube 126 is connected essary for the movement of theplate 11 to a goose neck 128 to afford the fleXibility-necconnected with the tube 126 by a twoway cock 136, and, :1- discharge outlet connection 137 connected todischarge into the supply tank 133. The suction pump134 has a plunger 138 provided with a stirrup handle 13.9 ccnvenientto the operator and is provided with the necessarypump valves to control the flow of fluid. WVhen it is desired to actuate .oneoi' the hydraulic jacks to break the coal, the handle 1 10 of the cock 1.36 is turned to connect the prefsure pump 12.7 with the cylinder 120 of the desired jack, and the hand lever 131 is moved to force the fluid froin the reservoir 133 to the cylinder 120 to move the plunger 121 outwardly. The faces 1&1 and 142 of the jack coi'neinto forceful engagementwith the .coal at each side of the kerf to exert a pushing effort which breaks the coal between the parallel vertical kerli's from the main body of the coal. WVhile breaking down jacks are provided on both shearing cutter frames the cock 13.6 arranged to control the flow of fluid intoeither or both jacks. In. practice pressure .is applied to only one side of a blockof coal the kerf at the opposite side affording a sutiic-ient clearance for :the movement necessary to dislodge said block from themain .body of the coal. It has been found in practice that when such pressure is vapplied .to the coal the natural cleavages of the coal open up and the fragments falling to the main conweyor are of sizes suitable for handling After the coal has been broken down the handle 14-0 of the cock. 136 is turned to connect the tube 126with the suction pump 134.- which is of such capacity that a single upward stroke of its plunger 138 removes the fluid from the cylinder 120 to retract the plunger 121. .The use of an auxiliary suc-' tion pump 134i tofl-il'etract the plunger 121 is made necessary by the tendency of the packing wash er 122 to leak airduring the suction action when produced by the slow fitting pressure pump 127.

143 is a flexible electric conductor leading from the controller 144 from which current "is supplied to the motor 75. A branch conmachine tbodily from place to place. When to retract the mechanism. then ready to be moved to a new position.

so used the rope is detached from the hook 64 and a sufficient amount .is unwound" to permit it to be attachedlo a jack or other stationary object or to he passed around the pulleys on jacks such as those indicated at 146 and 147.

At 148 asshown in Figs. 2 and holes 1 of a room as indicated in Fig. 11. Preferab-ly the forward end of the machine is inclined outward away from the room axis. The main motor is then started and by means of the power transmitting devices which have beendescribed the under-cutting and shearing cutter chains are started. The main; and slack conveyors are started. A p1t car 44-is suitably placed on atrack in the center otthe room, andthe swinging con- 1 veyor is laterally adjusted to bring the discharge end over the car and started.

The operator by turning one of the hand Wheels 74 throws in the clutch which drives the drum 54 for the feed rope 53, and the whole mechanism is caused to advance bodily with respect to the pan 2, the cutters 5 forming a horizontal kerf and the cutters 23 forming parallel vertical 'kerfs. At the same time the front end of the main conveyor is carried into the kerf formed by the cutters 5. YVhen the cutters have been advanced a suitabledistance the pump is op- .erated to energize the jack C to breakdown the ,coal which falls upon the conveyor D and is carried rearwardly to the car 44.

The cutting, breaking down and carrying away of the coal continued in the manner described until the mechanism reached the extreme limit of its forward movement,

when the feeding mechanism is disconnected. The operator then throws the hand wheel 7 4 in the other direction and connects the drum 6]. for Winding the pull back rope 60, The machine is To accomplish this the rope60 is arranged, as shown in Figs. 11512 and 13 it being passed over pulleys secured to jacks 146 and 147 and secured at its outer end to the forward end of the pan 2. The drum 61 is then set in motion and the rope is wound,

the result being that the machineis pulled laterally into the position shown in Fig. 13.

'It is then ready in position to again be op erated in the manner before described. This series of operations can be repeated until the machine reaches the position shown in llll Figs. 14 and 15 in which it is inclined positely irom the position in 11. This meet local conditions.

then transferred to the other side of the machine and carried forward over a snatch block 151 attached to the forward corner of the pan. The drum 61 is then set in motion and the whole machine is moved bodily forward into position for another cut. The

cuts of the next series are taken from right to left instead of from left to right. As soon as this series of cuts is completed the machine will be back in a position such as indicated in Fig. 11 and the Whole cycle of operation can be repeated.

It will be understood that use may be made in handling the machine of jacks skids, rails etc, such as may be necessary to The use of such de vices is well understood by mine engineers, and mine operators and a detailed description is unnecessary.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a kerf cutter adapted to form a kerf in a mine wall spaced from a free face of the coal, with means carried by the kerf cutter adapted to exert pressure towards said free face to dislodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of kerf cutters adapted to simultaneously form kerfs in a coal face, with means carried by the kerf cutters adapted to exert pressure transversely of either of the kerfs to dis lodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

3. In a machine of the class described. the combination of a kerf cutter adapted to form a kerf in a mine wall spaced from a free face of the coal, with hydrostatically actuated means carried by the kerf cutter to exert pressure towards said free face to dis lodge the. coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of kerf cutters adapted to simultaneously form kerfs in a coal face with hydrostatically actuated means carried by the kerf cutters to exert pressure transversely of the kerfs to dislodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of either of the pressure exerting means.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a kerf cutter adapted to form a vertical kerf in a mine wall spaced from a free face of the coal, With means carried by the kerf cutter adapted to exert pressure towards said free face to dis lodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of kerf cutters adapted to simultaneously form horizontal and vertical kerfs in a mine wall spaced from a free face of the coal, with means carried by the vertical kerf cutteradapted to exert ressure towards said free face to dislodge t 1e coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means. 7

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of kerf cutters adapted to simultaneously form horizontal and vertical kerfs in a coal face, with hydrostatically actuated breaking down means carried by the vetrical kerf cutter adapted to exert pressure transversely of the kerf to dislodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of kerf cutters adapted to simultaneously form horizontal and vertical kerfs in a coal face, with hydrostatically actuated breaking down means carried by the vertical kerf cutter adapted to exert pressure transversely of the kerf to dislodge the coal, and a source of hydrostatic pressure within the control of the operator to actuate the pressure exerting means.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means to form a vertical kerf inia mine wall spaced from a free face of the coal, with breaking down means adapted to enter the vertical kerf with said kerf forming means to exert pressure towards said free face to dislodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the pressure exerting means.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of means to simultaneously form horizontal and vertical kerfs in a coal face with breaking down means mounted on the kerf-cutting means and arranged to travel therewith into a vertical kerf while it is being formed and'to exert pressure transversely of the kerf to dislodge the coal, and manual means outside of the coal to control the actuation of the breaking down .means.

11. In amachine of the class described the combination of means to simultaneously form horizontal and vertical kerfs in a coal face, with breaking down means carried by said cutting means into the vertical kerfs to exert pressure transversely of the kerf to dislodge the coal, and means to control the actuation of the breaking down means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NILS D. LEVIN. 

